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Football Mad

Parents often regale me with their tales of despair about their children who aren’t interested in reading – they are interested only in football. To them I tell the story of one boy – so desperate to learn the football results on a Saturday afternoon that he learned to read the results ticker-tape scrolling at the bottom of the screen. He was delighted when he could read Liverpool 1-2 Tottenham, and then devastated to read Arsenal 4-1 Southampton.

From the tickertape he progressed to football magazines, then to match day programmes (personally I have yet to find much duller reading material), and finally to football books. Now to my delight, the range has widened and books on other subject matters are read too. But it all started with that football tickertape.

There is some great children’s fiction on football, but three new books that grabbed my attention recently are three biographies of famous footballers. They aren’t fiction – but tell non-fiction in a classic narrative style, so that non-fiction fans are drawn in and learn a story arc at the same time as gaining knowledge about their favourite footballer (and shhh! reading!) For all that I loathe celebrity culture, I recognise that this is a great way into reading for some children, and that emulating that famous football star is often the way to go. You only have to look at the success of the Premier League Reading Stars programme to see how one passion can lead to another.

Gareth Bale: The Boy Who Became a Galactico by Tom and Matt Oldfield tells the story of Gareth Bale’s career, from being taken to his first match aged three to watch his uncle play, to his move to and his first goal for Real Madrid. It isn’t easy to write a biography for a child readership – as Gareth gets much older than the readership some of the emotions and relationships could be hard to understand – but the authors have pitched this perfectly. There is far more emphasis on life on the pitch than off it.

In all the books, the parents and those in authority make it clear, without being patronising, that the footballers’ careers aren’t just reliant on skill. There’s an emphasis on practice, and attitude – and the importance of family and friends supporting the player. This is a team game – both on and off the pitch.

In Gareth’s story, the authors show his progression from a small skinny boy to a more bulked-out player, with nods to extensive training, the difficulties of loyalty when a player moves from one club to another, coping with the frustrations of injury, and lots of detail about specific football matches. The statistics and games are accurate – the authors have acknowledged their research at the back of the book. Even for non-football fans, it’s a good read from start to finish with a clear biographical progression (the structure is tight) and simple language. To purchase, click here.

Raheem Sterling also struggles with his size in his story: Raheem Sterling: Young Lion, but his background also plays a major role in his story, and there are some touching moments about the sacrifices his mother made in order for Raheem to have his opportunities. You can buy it here.

The third title in the series by Tom and Matt Oldfield is Wayne Rooney: Captain of England. You can buy it here.

If children like reading about sport, but want fiction, then I would recommend the author Tom Palmer. Tom has done amazing work with the Rugby World Cup – he has a series of books out on this – but he also wrote Football Academy: Boys United, which is for newly independent readers looking for a great story.

Tom writes with beautiful fluency, excitement and emotion, so that the characters come alive and the story seems real. The first in the Football Academy series sees Jake try out for United’s under-twelve team. He is good, but is he good enough? Tom Palmer incorporates issues with his team-mates, friendships, relationships with family, as well as what happens when you support one team and play for another. There’s plenty of football too, and plenty of emphasis on working hard for what you want. It’s enjoyable, and inclusive with a diverse range of characters. It remains my top recommendation for encouraging young football fans to read. There are four titles in this series. To buy the first, click here.

I would also recommend Frankie’s Magic Football series by Frank Lampard, and Helena Pielichaty’s Girls FC series (sadly not widely available, but it is an excellent series and reminds us that football is for girls too). All 7+ yrs. Lastly, if your child is older, leave Mal Peet’s Keeper lying around for them to find. It contains the most beautiful writing, with an amazing football/ghost story about a world-famous goalkeeper, and the importance of believing in oneself.